Any Information on West Springfield or Lake Braddock and Other Options in Eastern FFX County

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley, McLean and Marshall are all in the eastern part of the county as well. I'm assuming you are priced out?

I don't really think of Lake Braddock as in the eastern part of the county, but if you think so you could also add Woodson to your list.

I'd be fine with either Hayfield or Edison. "Middling" is a label for the school average, but there seem to be significant cohorts of typical, high-achieving NoVa kids at both schools. I'd be more concerned with Lee or Mount Vernon, where it seems like the ESOL/FARMS populations likely suck up most of the attention.

You must not be from around here. Langley, McLean and Marshall, are way west of LBSS. You know...like the direction of the beltway from Springfield to Tysons...

I don't know what you mean. Tysons is west of central Springfield (Lee HS district), but not Burke (where LBSS is located). Burke seems about as far west as Wolf Trap (Vienna).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I did not make the comment about moving outside FCPS. I don't think Arlington would be workable, and we would probably be priced out in Langley, McLean, etc. Also, it would make our commutes worse as I work in Alexandria City and DH works in Chinatown.

I don't think Hayfield SS is terrible, but it seems that it would be very easy for get lost in the system there. We already supplement a lot at the elementary level because I think the classes are too large.

With the one child too I do not know if it would be worth it to move even if we had to go private. Our house has a lot of long term potential for us, so I am thinking of looking into private options more.

FYI, while there are a lot of kids at Hayfield SS, the size of the individual grades (7-12) at Hayfield are actually on the smaller size. It's not like T-C Williams in Alexandria or iW-L in Arlington, where there may be 900 kids in 9th grade in a few years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

Umm..no. Just not true at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

Umm..no. Just not true at all.

Wakefield has some of the lowest SAT scores in NoVa. If OP has issues with Hayfield, she will have even more issues with lower performing Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

Umm..no. Just not true at all.

Wakefield has some of the lowest SAT scores in NoVa. If OP has issues with Hayfield, she will have even more issues with lower performing Wakefield.

Yes yes, and people still pay a premium for it. We certainly prefer it to Stuart or wherever. Besides who said Op should look in south Arlington? She likely can't afford a comparable home located there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

Umm..no. Just not true at all.

Wakefield has some of the lowest SAT scores in NoVa. If OP has issues with Hayfield, she will have even more issues with lower performing Wakefield.

Yes yes, and people still pay a premium for it. We certainly prefer it to Stuart or wherever. Besides who said Op should look in south Arlington? She likely can't afford a comparable home located there.

What does it mean to "pay a premium" for a house there? Over what? You could just as easily say houses there sell "at a discount" compared to North Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, etc.

Stuart has higher SAT scores than Wakefield, and a growing IB diploma program. I'm not sure what Wakefield's selling point is other than the building and the basketball program, but in any event OP has better options in Fairfax than South Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many neighborhoods in eastern Fairfax are great places to live and raise a family - Fort Hunt, Stratford Landing, Hayfield, Kingstowne, Saratoga. Great locations, good housing stock, etc. Why are some of the schools in those areas performing poorly? Good neighborhood schools are suddenly not so good. What's going on FCPS?

Huh? These areas look very good compared to, say, South Arlington.

The houses is south Arlington are comparatively much more expensive.

That is true, but they are being bought by people who don't care about the public schools.

Umm..no. Just not true at all.

Wakefield has some of the lowest SAT scores in NoVa. If OP has issues with Hayfield, she will have even more issues with lower performing Wakefield.

Yes yes, and people still pay a premium for it. We certainly prefer it to Stuart or wherever. Besides who said Op should look in south Arlington? She likely can't afford a comparable home located there.

What does it mean to "pay a premium" for a house there? Over what? You could just as easily say houses there sell "at a discount" compared to North Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, etc.

Stuart has higher SAT scores than Wakefield, and a growing IB diploma program. I'm not sure what Wakefield's selling point is other than the building and the basketball program, but in any event OP has better options in Fairfax than South Arlington.

Honestly, how daft do you have to be to not understand how much more expensive real estate is in any part of Arlington ( south Arlington included) compared to houses zoned Hayfield ( which I think is a perfectly fine school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley, McLean and Marshall are all in the eastern part of the county as well. I'm assuming you are priced out?

I don't really think of Lake Braddock as in the eastern part of the county, but if you think so you could also add Woodson to your list.

I'd be fine with either Hayfield or Edison. "Middling" is a label for the school average, but there seem to be significant cohorts of typical, high-achieving NoVa kids at both schools. I'd be more concerned with Lee or Mount Vernon, where it seems like the ESOL/FARMS populations likely suck up most of the attention.

We could move to McLean, but it would make commutes a lot worse. We've been established for almost 20 years, love our neighborhood and don't want to move. The schools were highly rated back then, but have since declined.

If we move anywhere, it will be outside of Fairfax Co. I'm so disappointed

I'm sorry that you're disappointed in FCPS. But I'm a bit confused, first you say that you're thinking of relocating for a different high school and now you say that you would only move outside of FCPS. The APS high schools are good but there are problems with overcrowding there. Where else are you considering moving?

Richmond suburbs. Henrico County. Very highly rated schools.

[Anonymous]

If you like your home and only have one kid, I'd just do Bishop Ireton. My friends all have their older children there and they really like it.

[Anonymous]

OP, the deal with Hayfield is that you must have your kids take all honors (which aren't that hard anyway) or AP.

There are kids who care and those who don't. The ones who aren't prepared to learn (i.e. don't care and like to be disruptive) mainly come from the Rt. 1 corridor/Lorton Stat. elem. If your kid cares, they will hang out with other kids who care (in the honors/AP classes) and they will do fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you like your home and only have one kid, I'd just do Bishop Ireton. My friends all have their older children there and they really like it.

If you want a religious education, the BI is fine. But, the person I know who had kids at both (Hayfield and BI) said the academics aren't any different or better at BI... the difference is the type of kids who are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the deal with Hayfield is that you must have your kids take all honors (which aren't that hard anyway) or AP.

There are kids who care and those who don't. The ones who aren't prepared to learn (i.e. don't care and like to be disruptive) mainly come from the Rt. 1 corridor/Lorton Stat. elem. If your kid cares, they will hang out with other kids who care (in the honors/AP classes) and they will do fine.

I agree with this. Unless a high school is struggling with general safety ( gang violence etc), I would be fine with a school like Hayfield. Your child will find other high achieving kids.
I suppose the exception is if you have a vulnerable/at risk child. Then I would do private regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the deal with Hayfield is that you must have your kids take all honors (which aren't that hard anyway) or AP.

There are kids who care and those who don't. The ones who aren't prepared to learn (i.e. don't care and like to be disruptive) mainly come from the Rt. 1 corridor/Lorton Stat. elem. If your kid cares, they will hang out with other kids who care (in the honors/AP classes) and they will do fine.

This. You need to understand the different cohorts at a school and see how they do. Looking at average scores to me is not an indicator of the quality of education you may or may not receive. My daughter goes to a FCPS high school with a diverse population and maybe average SAT scores, but she is in a cohort of high performing students and is getting a great education.